(Finance) – Four experimental projects by Snam have obtained recognition over 7 million euros from ARERA (Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment) as part of the regulator’s initiative aimed at encouraging the development of pilot projects for the innovative use of existing gas infrastructures.
IoT sensors to counteract network losses, plant engineering and technologies for the production and transport of green hydrogen, but also the recovery of electricity from otherwise wasted gas. There are different areas of the 4 innovative Snam projects admitted to the ARERA reward tariff mechanism.
With 7.3 million euros, in particular, Snam was awarded approximately a quarter of the overall contributions recognized by Arera to 21 projects from 12 different companies.
The contribution, increased by ARERA following some preliminary steps which further highlighted the effectiveness of the initiatives in question, rewards the TSO’s commitment in the fight against climate change and in the pursuit of decarbonisation objectivestargets pursued while ensuring the country’s energy security.
These, in more detail, i Snam projects that will benefit from ARERA’s contribution:
Methane detector: Installation of an IoT (Internet of Things) sensor at Snam Rete Gas compressor stations. The device allows natural gas leaks to be identified and quantified in real time, ensuring continuous monitoring of the Snam infrastructure, without the need to resort to on-site inspections.
P2H Contursi: Construction of a hydrogen production plant from renewable sources (P2H) and injection of the hydrogen itself into the network up to a maximum of 10% of the volume of transported molecules.
Taranto turboexpander: Installation of a turboexpander for the production of electricity, aimed at recovering energy from the pressure drop of natural gas in a decompression cabin.
H2 separation membrane: installation and testing of a palladium membrane for the separation of hydrogen from a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen.